Mail-bag holder.



PATENTED AU-G. 16,1904.

N. OLSON. v MAIL BAG HOLDER.

ATPLIOATION FILED DEC. 4 1903.

HO MODEL.

mnoanfo's a 0 M Z O H a Patented August 16, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELS OLSON, OF AVONDALE, ALABAMA.

MAIL-BAG HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,428, dated. August 16, 1904,

Application filed December 4, 1903. Serial No. 183,771. (No model.)

To (all 7072/0772, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NnLs OLsoN. a citizen of the United States, residing at Avondale, in the county of J efierson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a novel form of mail-bag holder having for its essential object to obviate the use of complicated parts ormechanisms the operation of which might })e interfered with by weather changes or the ike.

The invention further relates to a peculiar means for supporting the bag adapted for a certain amount of adjustment to permit use of the device in connection with different-sized pouches, the size of a pouch being usually regulated, of course, by the amount of mailmatter therein.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

\Vhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the pouch-supporting means being shown in the position assumed thereby after the pouch has been caught by the passing train. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the lower arm carrying the downwardlyswinging member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the structure represented in the drawings the pouch-supporting means is mounted upon any suitable support, and in this instance the support comprises the vertical posts 1, braced by means of brace-posts 2, the supporting-posts 1 being provided with means,

such as steps or ladder-rungs, by which ready access to the pouch-carrier may be had.

The pouch-carrier consists of a weighted arm 3, pivoted between the upper end portions of the supporting-posts 1 and adapted to assume a vertical position when the pouch, which is designated 4, is not supported thereby. The pivoted arm 3 has secured thereto an upper arm 5 and a lower arm 6. To the lower arm 6 is pivoted a downwardly-swinging member 7 which carries the lower bag-engaging device 8. The upper arm 5 carries the upper bag-engaging device, which device is of any desirable form found best for the purposes of the invention. The pivoted member 7 when disposed in a horizontal position, the position of same when the bag is supported by the arm 3, cooperates with a spring-bar 9, secured to the lower arm 6 at its upper end. The lower end of the spring-bar 9 is provided with a head 10, which engages the upper side of the pivoted member 7 and normally serves to exert a pressure thereagainst to facilitate the secure mounting of the pouch when supported by the catcher. adapted for a certain amount of spring movement it will be seen that a certain degree of adjustment is admissible in the disposal of the member 7, such adjustment being advantageous, since it readily adapts the device for rigidly supporting different-sized pouches. The spring-bar 9 further in its cooperation with the downwardly-swinging bar 7 cooperates to prevent accidental displacement of the bag by being blown from its supported position, this being an essential desideratum in this class of inventions. The pouch-engaging devices 8 are pivoted to the respective members by which they are supported so as to swing laterally in the usual manner. The arm 3 is provided with a weight 11, adjustably mounted thereon and fixed in its'adjustment by any means, such as a set-screw or the like.

After the bag has been snatched from the engaging device 8 the weight 11 throws the arm 3 into the vertical position hereinbefore described, and the pivoted member 7 because of its manner of connection with the lower arm 6nainely, its pivotal mountingalso In that the spring-arm 9 is.

the lower arm aforesaid, bag-engaging means carried by the upper arm and the downwardlyswinging member, and a spring secured to the lower arm and cooperating with the downwardly-swinging member.

2. In combination with a suitable support, a pivoted arm carried by the support, a weight adjustably mounted upon the arm, upper and lower armsprojected from the weighted arm, a downwardly-swinging member carried by the lower arm, and bag-engaging devices carried by the upper arm and the downwardlyswing'ing member.

3. In combination with a suitable support, a weighted arm carried by the support, upper and lower arms projected from the weighted arm, a downwardly-swinging member pivoted to the lower arm, bag-engaging devices carried by the upper arm and the downwardlyswinging member aforesaid, and a spring-bar secured at one end to the lower arm and having its other end cooperating with the downwardly-swinging member under certain conditions of service.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELS OLSON. [L. s] Witnesses:

HENRY R. Howzn, A. C. Howzn. 

